The Confusion Sets In
by boybeater3736
Summary: Legolas and Aragorn are in a prison somewhere in Eregion. Will help be on the way? Where will it befound? Read... find out. Maybe.
1. One

Note: This story may be confusing to some, but just try and follow along. Its set pre-Fellowship. Reviews are greatly appreciated and flamers will strangely disappear from the face of this planet. Mua ha ha ha ha ha! ALL SHALL PERISH!!

The Confusion Sets In

By boybeater3736

"Legolas," Aragorn whispered, his voice soft and rusty. "calm yourself." It didn't sound as if it were an order or a plea, just a little statement of comfort. And the person to whom it was spoken to relaxed a bit. The sore, rigid muscles that had been wildly tense all day loosened. His crazy blue eyes that were snapping from place to place fixed upon his friend.

"Elessar," Legolas rasped. He didn't seem to be saying his name for any other reason than to feel the way it tasted on his tongue.

Aragorn subconsciously scrambled for his canteen, to give his friend some water, but it was gone too. Taken. Along with their weapons.

Legolas and Aragorn had been taken captive only 2 weeks before. Now, this cell with musty hay strewn about the floor was the place they called home… for how long they knew not.

This some sort of prison in the middle of Eregion was rank with death. Every few moments the shriek of someone being tortured was heard. And every time the pair looked up to see through the barred door of their cell, someone was either being drug off for torture or a corpse was being drug out. The people they saw consisted of men from the south… and occasionally an Elf.

Legolas and Aragorn believed it was only a matter of time before their bodies were being drug to and fro.

"Well, you had better get some rest before he comes to whip you again." Aragorn said.

Legolas sighed heavily. "Hate it." was what he said.

"I know, but he's going to come in here and do it anyway." Aragorn said, "Get some sleep."

Every other night for the past week, a man came in and whipped Legolas for fun. He hadn't drawn near Aragorn… ever, but it was only a matter of time before the skin on Legolas's back was too shredded and scarred for anymore so-called fun.


	2. Two

Note: Here's to all my loving fans… maybe my mother… but hey….yeah.

Aragorn slowly opened his eyes as the cell door screeched and scraped as it opened. He still lay curled up on the ground, even as he heard Legolas grunt when his wrists were roughly snapped into shackles. He head he whip crack as the man snapped it in the air. He only did this to get his quarry tense. But Legolas, however, was unaffected by this.

There was the sound of a whip shredding flesh and the slight whimper of Legolas who was trying to hold back a yell of pain. Aragorn cringed.

After about six more sickening lashes, Legolas was un-shackled and thrown upon the ground again, barely conscious from the pain. The man snickered and kicked Legolas squarely in the stomach. He made the oddest noise and coiled. The man left, shutting the door with a clang.

Aragorn scrambled over to his shirtless and bleeding friend. Without a word he gently turned Legolas over so he would lie on his stomach and not get hay and God-knows-what else in his cuts. He shifted slightly as Aragorn brushed his long silky hair out of his oozing whip gashes.

"Ow," Legolas moaned.

"Shhhh," Aragorn said, "I'm just moving your mess of hair out of your wounds."

Legolas replied. "I know… but it still hurts!"

"Wimp," Aragorn accused playfully.

"Ouch!" Legolas cried as his friend's hand ran over a particularly tender spot. "Well, you wouldn't be exactly chipper if you had been just whipped either oh Ranger-friend-of-mine!" He tensed painfully n his small nest of hay, Aragorn watching over. As the unseen stars shined above figments of broken memory swirled in the Elf's troubled mind.

"Legolas?" Aragorn asked, for his friend had fallen suddenly quiet. But he received no answer for Legolas had fallen asleep, snoring very, very softly. Aragorn curled up beside his friend and slept also, falling onto the dark paths of his dreams tonight. But he slept for the first time in days… and this was good.


	3. Three

Note: Here you go my loving fans! Sorry for the long pause between updates and stuff.

It wasn't until early morning when Aragorn was wakened by the cell door opening and closing. Left on the dusty floor was their breakfast.

Before eating himself Aragorn made Legolas sip at the cups given to them of tepid water and nibble on a piece of stale bread. And after a few gulps and a few bites, Legolas refused to have anymore, even with Aragorn's pleas. Soon after several more imploring words, he was asleep again.

Aragorn sighed and turned away to count the stones in the southern wall of their cell. As he did this, he also listened carefully to the drama going on in the cell cattycorner to theirs.

There was the sound of a cry and retching. Then someone yelled, "Oh no! Yellow fever!"

This struck alarm in Aragorn. A plague of fever? Of course it could be a false accusation… but still… it was so deadly. In the summer months of heat this Ranger had heard of whole villages and towns being wiped out because of it. Sometimes Elves weren't even immune to it as they were to many, many infectious diseases and sicknesses. An outbreak here could kill everyone.

Aragorn tried to listen further but the other's speech was so garbled and panicked that it wasn't understandable. Quietly he ate, even though he wasn't every hungry.

Around nightfall Legolas awoke with a start, probably because of the tortured person screaming down the hall. His head snapped up suddenly and his breathing was hard and heavy. Sweat trickled down his fine features. His hair, dampened, messy, tangled, and unbraided, stuck to his neck, forehead, and shoulders slightly.

Aragorn rose from his seated position and knelt next to his gasping friend.

"Legolas?"


	4. Four

Legolas took in a breath, trying to calm himself before speaking. He said:

"I-It was just that person screaming… Nothing more. I wonder that they are doing to that soul. The voice is definitely male."

Aragorn sighed. "I don't know; could be removing a limb, castrating him, anything."

Legolas didn't appreciate his best friend's dark humor, even though he saw a high possibility in what he said.

"Now go back to sleep mellon nin. It is not yet morn." Aragorn soothed. He brushed stray locks of hair from Legolas's troubled face. "Shhhh…"

Legolas lay back down and closed his eyes and slept once again. Out of curiosity Aragorn gently laid a hand and Legolas's brow to see if he had a fever. His head was turned off to one side so that a flawless cheekbone rested on the dusty stone floor. He was warm, but hopefully only because it was probably up to 95 F in there… Aragorn decided to keep an eye on that anyway.

An unconscious body of an injured seventeen-year-old was drug by a leg from one of the many torture chambers. The guard, who was very tired and feeling lazy that night, conveniently threw him into any old cell as he left for bed because he was too incompetent to find the right key.

And even more fortunately/unfortunately, that "any old cell" happened to be the one occupied by Legolas and Aragorn.

The boy hit the floor soundly, not daring to raise his head. Aragorn immediately sat up and stared curiously at the crumpled form that obviously did NOT belong in this cell.

"Who are you?" Aragorn asked, making his way over to the boy. That task didn't take long, for the cell they occupied was like a Saltines box stood up on end… maybe a little bigger.

"I-I'm Rhett. Another prisoner here… just like you." said the figure in a muffled voice. His thin and dirty arms hid his face.


	5. Five flashback

Note: Here is a flashback. It was suggested by one on my dear little reviewers Thank you so much!. So here ya go. Don't forget! IT'S A FLASHBACK.

flashback

"Aragorn… I have a strange sensation that we are being followed." Legolas whispered in Elvish to his friend.

The two were briskly riding through a thicket of thorny honey locust trees, still being careful not to cut themselves or get their clothes ripped or snagged.

"Nonsense," Aragorn muttered under his breath.

Legolas's sharp ears caught the remark. "I heard that!" he growled playfully.

"Maybe you were supposed to." Aragorn snapped.

"What's wrong with you?" Legolas snorted. Something was wrong with Aragorn…

"I'm fine." Aragorn sighed. "We must hurry. Rivendell is not far."

Legolas shook the foreboding though out of his head. Just then he heard the whistle from a not far off arrow. It was headed toward Aragorn.

"Duck Estel! Arrow!" Legolas cried in Elvish.

At this command, Aragorn obeyed and, well, ducked. The black, gnarled arrow hit the tree behind, making one with the protruding thorns.

A man came up behind Legolas and caught him on unawares. A heavy fist came down on Legolas's skull and h knew no more for a long while.

end flashback

Well, there ya go. I'll post more flashbacks as I go… but that may be a teeeeeennnyyyyy little filler for you guys! Once again thank you for ALL of the reviews. I hope you enjoyed.


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